Within the shadowed valley of the Soul Forgers tribe, Wang Lin’s right hand swept across his enchanted pouch. A sigil, etched onto a blooming blossom of binding, drifted forth and settled nearby. He wove an arcane gesture, and the blossom swelled, its petals unfurling into a radiant, imprisoning sphere.

Within this ethereal cage, Yao Xixue sat, her face ashen as moonlight. Upon her brow, the Brand of Life flickered incessantly, each pulse sending a vital current through her, ensuring she would not simply fade into oblivion.

Her eyes snapped open, and she glared at Wang Lin with venom so potent it seemed to fill the very air. Her hatred for him was a boundless ocean.

Wang Lin ignored her gaze, his voice calm and measured. “Daoist Yao,” he said, “how have you considered my proposal from our last…meeting?”

Yao Xixue gnashed her teeth. Within the confines of the binding, time seemed to lose all meaning, intensifying the feeling of helpless despair that clawed at her heart.

Though barely a year had passed in the outside world, to her, it felt like an eternity stretched into endless ages.

“My patience is not infinite,” Wang Lin continued, “I will offer you only three chances. You may refuse to answer this time as well. But know this, the third time, should you still be silent, then our paths will never cross again.” He glanced at her, his voice soft but unyielding.

“Are you not afraid of my father’s wrath?” Yao Xixue’s fists clenched tight.

Wang Lin smiled faintly, inclining his head. “Afraid? Indeed! The Blood Ancestor’s power far surpasses my own. Were he to hunt me, I fear my meager abilities would not even afford me the chance to flee.”

“However,” he continued, “I have been left with little choice. Had you not schemed against me, I would not have resorted to such measures. This is the cycle of cause and effect. To release you would be to incur the Blood Ancestor’s displeasure. Thus, it is better to keep you contained, for perhaps, in doing so, a glimmer of hope may emerge.”

“Release me,” Yao Xixue pleaded swiftly, “and I vow never to speak of this to my father. Moreover, I swear to consider our grievances settled!”

Wang Lin studied her intently. “I do not trust you.”

“You—!” Yao Xixue took a deep breath. “What is it you truly desire?!”

“According to my terms, answer a question, and I shall reduce your imprisonment by fifty years.”

Yao Xixue lowered her head, her eyes shadowed with inner conflict.

Wang Lin remained patient, observing her in silence.

After a span of time akin to half a stick of incense burning, Yao Xixue lifted her head, her voice cold. “Even if you imprison me, my father’s divine senses will surely find me. And then, I will watch as he shatters your mortal form, tears your soul from its confines, and locks it away in the nether regions, so that you may finally grasp the true meaning of suffering!”

Wang Lin sighed softly. “You have squandered your second chance. I hope you will cherish the next.” With a glint in his eyes, he stepped forward, reaching Yao Xixue in an instant. His right hand snaked out, seizing her chin. With a touch of force, he pried open her lips.

Yao Xixue’s face turned deathly pale as she struggled, her body powerless.

Wang Lin’s eyes held a hint of amusement as he plunged two fingers of his left hand into her mouth. When he withdrew them, a tiny crimson needle lay clutched between them.

“You used the last essence of your spiritual energy to create this. Had you been given more time, perhaps you could have used it to sever the Brand of Life, and thus meet your end within this prison.” As he spoke, he crushed the needle, releasing a wisp of blood-red mist that vanished into nothingness.

Yao Xixue shuddered. Her gaze upon Wang Lin could no longer be described as merely venomous. “Wang Lin,” she said, a rare clarity shining in her eyes, “should I ever escape this confinement, I swear, I will employ the most excruciating tortures imaginable to inflict suffering upon you!”

At that moment, an invisible force seemed to awaken within her, slowly transforming her hatred for Wang Lin into a solidified resolve, a force so potent that it threatened to shatter the very fabric of the cage.

Wang Lin smiled thinly. “It seems the enchantments binding you are still insufficient.” With a flick of his wrist, a gust of wind stripped Yao Xixue of her garments, scattering them like dust. Before him stood a form of captivating beauty.

Wang Lin scrutinized her, his gaze unwavering. Yao Xixue maintained the sudden, crystalline clarity in her eyes, though to Wang Lin, it appeared somewhat distracted, distant.

His eyes flashed, and his right hand moved, lightly touching her at several particularly sensitive points. Each time his fingertips brushed against her skin, a wave of celestial energy infused her body. Slowly, Yao Xixue’s skin flushed crimson. The clarity in her eyes faded, replaced by endless humiliation and rage.

“Wang Lin, you vile, dishonorable wretch!! I, Yao Xixue, vow eternal enmity with you!!!” she screamed, her voice reaching a frenzied pitch.

Wang Lin breathed a sigh of relief. He realized the gravity of the moment. Yao Xixue’s latent talent was truly extraordinary. For a moment, she had begun to transmute her hatred into a state of enlightenment, seeking to attain the Dao through her rage. Had she succeeded, the Brand of Life alone would have been unable to hold her.

Thus, he had not hesitated to strip her of her composure, using his fingertips and celestial energy to shatter her newfound clarity and extinguish her embryonic path to enlightenment.

“The enchantments binding you are still insufficient,” he repeated softly. He began weaving incantations, and waves of restrictive spells sprung forth from his hands, each one embedding itself into Yao Xixue’s flesh.

He paid particular attention to those sensitive areas, leaving no room for respite. He placed enchantments that would continue to prod and invade Yao Xixue’s body and mind, preventing her from finding peace and stepping again into the moment of enlightenment.

When he was finished, Wang Lin flicked his hand, and the blooming prison collapsed, reforming into a tight sphere that he placed back in his pouch.
The Daughter of the Blood Ancestor proved a vexing burden. Sealing her away in a hidden place was the only recourse, but first, all her secrets must be laid bare! Alas, my cultivation fell short of Ascendancy; otherwise, Soul Searching would grant me all she knew! To attempt it now would risk her life, a consequence that would surely breed future troubles!

Time flowed onward, and two moons waned. The pact with the Demon General drew nigh, only days remaining. Upon this day, Wang Lin emerged from the valley, Ouyang Hua trailing in his wake.

“Upon my departure,” Wang Lin commanded, “dispatch hundreds of our kin to spread amongst the surrounding tribes, no matter how small or grand. They shall infiltrate these tribes by any means necessary!

“Their souls, guarded by our ancestral spirits, shall resist the spirit-muddling potions of these tribes. Once amongst them, impart the Soul Refining Arts, that more may walk this path. The specifics of this task, I leave to your discretion.”

Ouyang Hua bowed his head in affirmation.

After a moment of contemplation, Wang Lin drew forth a jade slip from his pouch, offering it to Ouyang Hua.

“The Soul Refining Arts are comprised of two facets. Refining the Soul is but one. Within this jade slip lies the other, a powerful spell known as Soul Extraction. This technique is for the bloodline of the Refining Soul tribe alone. Keep this knowledge sacred!”

Ouyang Hua inhaled deeply, accepting the jade slip with solemn reverence. Upon reading it, he shattered it, declaring, “Ancestor, I have etched this knowledge upon my soul and shall never forget your words. This art shall be taught only to the true blood of the Refining Soul Tribe!”

Wang Lin nodded in approval. With a gesture of his right hand towards the heavens, the black mists above the Refining Soul Tribe, formed by the Soul Banner of Honor, coalesced in his grip, forming a three-丈 banner. He inhaled, drawing it into his core.

He then produced several common soul banners from his pouch, casting them into the sky. Once more, black mists cloaked the heavens.

With a step forward, Wang Lin vanished.

From afar, a whisper reached Ouyang Hua’s ears.

“When I return, I expect the tribe to number a million souls!”

Ouyang Hua knelt, proclaiming, “I shall not fail you, Ancestor!” These words were meant for the departed Wang Lin, but more so, they were a vow to himself.

Wang Lin strode across the heavens, a streak of light cleaving the sky, bound for the Ancient Demon City.

“The capital of the Celestial Demon Prefecture… a den of dragons and tigers, no doubt. I shall see it for myself. Besides myself, several others from the Heaven’s Choice Sect have come to this Demon Spirit Land. Perhaps, in the capital, I might encounter them…

“And the dozen disciples from the Great Luo Sword Sect… should I find them in the capital, I shall seize one and demand the location of Zhou Yi’s imprisonment!” Wang Lin’s eyes narrowed in thought, his pace unwavering as he vanished beyond the horizon.

Within the Ancient Demon City, Demon General Mo Lihai, clad in a robe of verdant green, stood upon the eastern city wall, his command echelon arrayed behind him.

Mo Lihai gazed into the distance, silent and unmoving.

His silence commanded the silence of those behind him.

At length, Mo Lihai’s gaze returned, his eyes sweeping over the Ancient Demon City. His vision lingered upon the ravaged ten-mile radius at its heart.

“Upon my departure, I shall not return. Another Demon General will take my place. The ruins within the city, they bear no consequence to me!” Mo Lihai mused within himself.

“A pity that the one named Thirteen was claimed by Wang Lin. Of the eighteen Demon Bodies, I have only refined seventeen… but if Wang Lin truly lends his aid, I am confident I can enter the top three in the Demon General Competition! And with this, I can gain the right to enter the Ancient Demon Hall to cultivate. Upon my return, I shall be amongst the Deputy Marshals!” Mo Lihai inhaled deeply, his gaze hardening as he peered into the distance, a faint smile gracing his lips.

“This one, at least, is a man of his word!” Mo Lihai laughed heartily, his voice booming, “Brother Wang, Mo awaits!”

Wang Lin’s figure materialized in the sky outside the eastern gate. His gaze swept over the scene, settling upon Mo Lihai, and he smiled faintly, bowing. “Forgive me for keeping you waiting, Brother Mo!”

“It is of no matter. This journey is of great importance to Mo. I shall rely upon you greatly, Brother Wang!” Mo Lihai replied with a laugh, stepping forward to appear before Wang Lin.

“It is my pleasure!” Wang Lin replied.

“Three teleportation arrays lie between here and the capital. Brother Wang, after you!”

Two streaks of light shot from the Ancient Demon City, cleaving the heavens as they vanished, leaving only the echoes of thunderous booms in their wake.